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Event

Looks like the accumulator ruptured due to rust, and spun around. There would likely be liquid refrigerant present. The noise could be the sound of the accumulator whacking against the cabinet as it turned, like a playing card in bicycle spokes. Ask the earwitness if it was one short blast, or sustained. Never saw anything like it.

Looks like the accumulator corroded through from the outside and let go, BIG TIME!

Originally Posted by napoleon-dynomite

I had never seen anything like it before. Maybe somebody else has. The thing that gets me is the system was off, customer wasn't home and the neighbors said that it sounded like a bomb had exploded causing the fire department to be dispatched. R-22 system, ambient was about 80 deg. F

I work in a coastal area also and have seen accumulators rusted way more than that one, Ive changed countless ones due to corrosion leaks, I have never seen anything remotely close to what happened there, more going on there than just rust

I'd bet that some one put too much juice in there wayy too much juice I would say it hydrostaticed and blew off the weakest point - the rusted bottom ( if it had rused through you would see oil staining)

to boom loud enough for the fire dept to be called it would have to fail catrostropicly thus thats why I feel it was hyrdostaticly ruptured

I bet refrigerant had been accumulating during the cold nights and collecting in the accumulator and the compressor to the point of hydrostatic expansion.

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Event

Good point. gazpan. Compressor terminals can blow out and make a hell of a noise. Sounds like a jet taking off. That would also shred the compressor insulation.Maybe there is more than one thing going on

I work in a coastal area also and have seen accumulators rusted way more than that one, Ive changed countless ones due to corrosion leaks, I have never seen anything remotely close to what happened there, more going on there than just rust

I'll tell you what, equipment on the coast is subjected to excessive moisture and salt air which destroys equipment quickly. I've seen the fins on a Carrier condensing unit installed on the coast one year after it had been installed completely corrode and fall apart leaving only the copper tubing. These conditions will eat up copper too, just give it a little bit more time. Usually the system will be replaced before the copper will be eaten due to compressor failure.

By the way, yes, there is rust present like I said before, but I have seen units that are really weathered and rusty. Those units don't blow up, come to think of it, most systems that are not installed correctly have a hard time keeping the refrigerant from leaking out.

The customer stated that the system appeared to function with no problems prior to the unit exploding. That is why I am having a hard time thinking there was anything wrong with the install.

Lots-of-junk, you said "Although, that receiver looks kind of skimpy on metal thickness."